Of Course It’s Hot! On my second day in Ireland my Irish friend took my husband and me out to lunch. I ordered iced tea, something I did not do again. The server, who I believe was also the owner, was very polite and said, “We don’t have that. But I’ve had it before. It’s good.” Tea in Ireland is hot. My friend, who is well acquainted with Americans, said he had another American friend visit who kept ordering hot tea, and the...

Amid all the celebrations, shamrocks, and green beer it’s easy to forget that St. Patrick was a real man. In Northern Ireland you can easily follow St. Patrick’s footsteps. It’s all marked out for you in a 92-mile drive with 15 key sites. Or, you can just hit some of the highlights. When driving in Northern Ireland you might see these signs marking the trail. Find the Trail in Downpatrick Downpatrick, County...

While most folks in Ireland today will tell you they’ve left the fairy faith in the past, there is some evidence that it still exists. What’s fairy faith? Belief in fairies, of course. The History of Fairy Faith When the Milesians, that mythical race described by an 11th century scholar in Lebor Gabála Érenn (The Book of Invasions), came to Ireland they banished the natives to the underground and they became the Sidhe, the...

Ireland’s Other Patron Saint Besides St. Patrick and St. Columcille (Columba) there is another revered saint. Mary of the Gael, Ireland’s female patron saint, Ireland’s first nun–however you refer to her, today is her feast day and a great day to celebrate! People often ask me how I got interested in St. Brigid. It’s not a very profound story, but I suppose you can say that she found me. Several years ago...

It was a big year for Ireland. Well-known visitors, a bump in tourism numbers, new travel apps, great deals for travel, and a renewed interest in Irish heritage filled the plus side Rough economic times, an increase in taxes (not for Irish tourism products though), and the passing of Ireland Expert Pat Preston on the negative end. As we look back on the year, we celebrate the many wonderful posts published last year by highlighting...